So what's in a beer
glass? Hopefully beer, but there's much more to be found. Though some beer
novices say "the vast majority of glassware is just marketing," this
couldn't be further from the truth. As Home brewers, we feel that beer drinkers
deserve better than this. So here's the real deal ...
Sure, there's a
marketing component to beer glassware, but one only needs to look beyond the
branding to discover that something bigger is taking place. As soon as the beer
hits the glass, its color, aroma and taste is altered, your eye candy receptors
tune in, and your anticipation is tweaked. Hidden nuances, become more
pronounced, colors shimmer, and the enjoyment of the beer simply becomes a
better, more complete, experience.
Still think it's
just marketing? Well the sophomoric pun "head is good" has a mature
side. Scientific studies show that the shape of glassware will impact head
development and retention. Why is this important? The foam created by pouring a
beer acts as a net for many of the volatiles in a beer. What's a volatile?
Compounds that evaporate from beer to create its aroma, such as hop oils, all
kinds of yeast fermentation byproducts like alcohol, fusels and fruity esters,
spices or other additions. So a glass that promotes a healthy foam head may
enhance the trapping of certain volatiles. And as varying levels of head
retention and presentation are desired with different styles of beers,
different styles of glassware should be used accordingly. Presentation marries
science.
So which glassware
do you use? The answer can often be overwhelming. In Europe, especially
Belgium, each brand of beer will often have its own glass. In fact, some
breweries have been known to engineer the glass before the beer, and many bars
will also stock unique glassware for every brand of beer they serve, which
could be hundreds or thousands. And while it's always a good idea to use
glassware designed by the brewery for a specific brand of beer, sometimes this
is not an option. But fret not! We've complied a quick guide of recommended
glassware that will cover most beers and arm you with a very versatile arsenal
of glassware.
Flute Glass
The world of
champagne lends elegance to certain types of beer. Long and narrow bodies
ensure that carbonation doesn't dissipate too quickly and showcase a lively
carbonation or sparkling color. Stems will often be a bit shorter than the
traditional champagne glass, but not necessarily.
Benefits: Enhances
and showcases carbonation. Releases volatiles quickly for a more intense
upfront aroma.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- Bière de Champagne / Bière
Brut
- Dortmunder / Export Lager
Goblet (or Chalice)
Majestic pieces of
work, ranging from delicate and long stemmed (Goblet) to heavy and thick walled
(Chalice). The more delicate ones may also have their rims laced with silver or
gold, while the heavy boast sculpture-like stems. Some are designed to maintain
a 2-centimeter head. This is achieved by scoring the inside bottom of the
glass, which creates a CO2 nucleation point, and a stream of eternal bubbles
and perfect head retention as a result.
Benefits: Eye candy.
Designed to maintain head. Wide-mouthed for deep sips.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
Mug (or Seidel, stein)
Heavy, sturdy, large
and with handle, the mug is a fun and serious piece of glassware that comes in
many sizes and shapes. The best part of using a mug is that you can clink them
together with more confidence than other types of glassware, and they hold loads
of beer. Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that
traditionally features a lid, the use of which dates back to the Black Plague
to prevent flies from dropping in.
Benefits: Easy to
drink out of. Holds plenty of volume.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Amber / Red Ale
- American Amber / Red Lager
- American Black Ale
- American Malt Liquor
- American Pale Ale (APA)
- American Pale Wheat Ale
- American Stout
- American Strong Ale
- Baltic Porter
- Black & Tan
- Bock
- California Common / Steam
Beer
- Chile Beer
- Cream Ale
- Czech Pilsener
- English India Pale Ale (IPA)
- English Stout
- English Strong Ale
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter
(ESB)
- Keller Bier / Zwickel Bier
- Milk / Sweet Stout
- Oatmeal Stout
- Scottish Gruit / Ancient
Herbed Ale
Pilsner Glass (or Pokal)
Typically a tall,
slender and tapered 12-ounce glass, shaped like a trumpet at times, that
captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its
head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.
Benefits: Showcases
color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Amber / Red Lager
- American Double / Imperial
Pilsner
- California Common / Steam
Beer
- Doppelbock
- Dortmunder / Export Lager
Pint Glass (or Becker, Nonic, Tumbler)
Near cylindrical,
with a slight taper and wide-mouth. There are two standard sizes, the 16-ounce
(US Tumbler - the pour man's pint glass and most common) or the 20-ounce
Imperial (Nonic), which has a slight ridge towards the top, a grip of sorts and
helps in stacking them. The 20-ounce version is preferred to accommodate more
beer or beers with large crowning heads. A Becker is the German equivalent,
tapering at the top.
Benefits: Cheap to
make. Easy to store. Easy to drink out of.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Amber / Red Lager
- American Double / Imperial
Stout
- California Common / Steam
Beer
- English Barleywine
- English Bitter
- English Brown Ale
- English India Pale Ale (IPA)
- English Pale Ale
- English Pale Mild Ale
- English Porter
- English Stout
- English Strong Ale
- Euro Dark Lager
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter
(ESB)
- Happoshu
- Herbed / Spiced Beer
- Irish Dry Stout
- Low Alcohol Beer
- Märzen / Oktoberfest
- Milk / Sweet Stout
- Oatmeal Stout
- Sahti
- Saison / Farmhouse Ale
- Scottish Gruit / Ancient
Herbed Ale
Snifter
Used for brandy and
cognac, these wide-bowled and stemmed glasses with their tapered mouths are
perfect for capturing the aromas of strong ales. Volumes range, but they all
provide room to swirl and agitate volatiles.
Benefits: Captures
and enhances volatiles.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Barleywine
- American Double / Imperial
IPA
- American Double / Imperial
Stout
- American Strong Ale
- Belgian Dark Ale
- Belgian Strong Dark Ale
- Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Braggot
- Eisbock
- English Barleywine
- Flanders Red Ale
- Foreign / Export Stout
- Gueuze
- Lambic - Fruit
- Old Ale
- Russian Imperial Stout
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
- Tripel
- Wheatwine
Stange (siender Cylinder)
A traditional German
glass, stange means "stick" and these tall, slender cylinders are
used to serve more delicate beers, amplifying malt and hop nuances. Substitute
with a Tom Collins glass.
Benefits: Tighter
concentration of volatiles.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- Gose
- Gueuze
- Kölsch
- Lambic - Fruit
- Lambic - Unblended
- Rauchbier
- Rye Beer
Tulip
A stemmed glass,
obviously tulip-shaped, wherein the top of the glass pushes out a bit to form a
lip in order to capture the head and the body is bulbous. Scotch Ales are often
served in a "thistle glass," which is a modified tulip glass that resembles
Scotland's national flower.
Benefits: Captures
and enhances volatiles, while it induces and supports large foamy heads.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Double / Imperial
IPA
- Belgian Pale Ale
- Belgian Strong Dark Ale
- Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Saison / Farmhouse Ale
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Weizen Glass
Nothing beats
serving your Weizenbier (wheat beer) in an authentic Bavarian Weizen Glass.
These classy glasses, with their thin walls and length, showcase the beer's
color and allows for much headspace to contain the fluffy, sexy heads
association with the style. Most are 0.5L in size, with slight variations in
sizes. Forget the lemon garnish, the citric will kill the head.
Benefits:
Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the
banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
Oversize wine glass
"A wine glass
for beer!?" Yep, an oversized 22oz wine glass will be most suitable for
serving most Belgian Ales. Its size allows for headspace, while the open bowl
creates an amazing nose. A lot of smart beer bars are now serving their Belgian
Ales in these. It also makes for a great crossover conversational piece.
"Is that wine that you're drinking?" And you reply, "No, it's De
Ranke XX Bitter from Belgium. Wanna try?"
Benefits:
Replacement for a Tulip or Goblet. Conversational.
Use with these Beer
Styles:
- American Double / Imperial
IPA
- American Double / Imperial
Stout
- Belgian Dark Ale
- Belgian IPA
- Belgian Pale Ale
- Belgian Strong Dark Ale
- Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Bière de Garde
- Braggot
